Japan

Population patterns Ethnically homogeneous 99% Ethnic Japanese 1% Ainu 78% of population live in coastal urban areas Lowland areas valleys Tokaido corridor – series of cities crowded along the Pacific coast of Honshu between Tokyo and Kobe

Urbanization Crowded cities with high cost of housing System of expressways and trains Bullet trains

Japanese History

Early Rulers Clans under Yamato dynasty 1st Shogun 1192 – military ruler Samurai – professional warriors

Contact with the West Japan isolated until 1542 First merchant ship – Portuguese Fear of influence Foreign restriction by shoguns - isolation by shoguns for 200 years Matthew C. Perry negotiates treaty with Japan in 1854 Samurai rebellion restores power to emperor

Perry “Opens” Japan

Modern Japan Cultural convergence Wars for expansion Mixing of cultures as interaction with other countries increased Wars for expansion China 1894-1895 Russia 1904-1905 WWII fought with axis powers against allies (U.S., British, and French) Surrender after U.S, uses atomic weapons on Nagasaki and Hiroshima

Japan rebuilds After WWII Japan becomes a democracy Rebuilds to become a global economic power Today – world’s second largest economy

Religion Buddhism Shintoism

Arts Painting Origami Kabuki theater Haiku

Family Source of strength Being part of the group is more important than individuality Acculturation Absorption of popular culture from another country Example…Western baseball